Disposable paper cups, method of making, and handling of such cups

ABSTRACT

There are now provided disposable paper cups, method of making, and handling of such cups. The cup may comprise a pleated disposable paper cup with a zigzag shaped, pleated cylindrical body, an open top and closed bottom. The cup may be constructed of a paper card stock evenly folded to create parallel pleats that serve to decrease the energy transfer between hot or cold beverages contained in the cup and a user&#39;s hand, enabling the user to hold onto the container for an extended period of time without pain or discomfort. The application further relates to an arrangement configured to prepare a personalized brew of coffee or the like, with a lid that can be punctured to flow hot liquid over a material configured to make a drink and into a disposable cup. The abstract of the disclosure is submitted herewith as required by 37 C.F.R. §1.72(b). As stated in 37 C.F.R. §1.72(b): A brief abstract of the technical disclosure in the specification must commence on a separate sheet, preferably following the claims, under the heading “Abstract of the Disclosure.” The purpose of the abstract is to enable the Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and gist of the technical disclosure. The abstract shall not be used for interpreting the scope of the claims. Therefore, the abstract is not intended to limit the claims in any manner and should not be interpreted as limiting the claims in any manner.

CROSS REFERENCE TO A RELATED PATENT APPLICATION

This application is a continuation-in-part application of my co-pendingU.S. application Ser. No. 10/849,262 filed on May 20, 2004 and entitledPleated Disposable Paper Cup

BACKGROUND

1. Technical Field

The present application relates to disposable cups or like containers orreceptacles, methods of manufacture thereof, and the use of such cups.

2. Background Information

Disposable cups and like containers are in use at most of the commonfast food outlets and are accordingly in wide-spread use. The mainconcern with such cups is the safe handling of the cup when it containsa hot liquid such as coffee.

Thus, one manner to protect a user of a cup containing a hot liquidcomprises double-cupping which is widely used in the industry to solvethe problem of cups being too hot to handle safely. Further,supplementary insulating sleeves such as shown in U.S. Pat. No.5,205,473 represent another method that has been employed to make papercups safer to use when filled with hot contents. Multi-layered papercups have also been designed to provide insulation between hot liquidcontents and a user's hand, such as, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,908,523 toShikaya, 1995; No. 5,205,473 to Coffin, Sr., 1993; No. 5,547,124 toMueller, 1996; No. 5,769,311 to Norika et al., 1998; No. 5,775,577 toTitus, 1998; and No. 6,378,766 to Sadlier, 2002.

The coffee industry is further organized in such a way that largerquantities of coffee are brewed, say in espresso machines or brewingvessels, and portions of hot coffee are dispensed for a buyer. Thusthere arises the problem that the coffee may be held in a state of aheated condition that possibly may render the dispensed portion ofcoffee in a somewhat stale condition when dispensed for a buyer.

OBJECTS

It is a primary object of the present application to provide adisposable paper cup which is of a more effective and efficientconfiguration in terms of insulating a user from the hot liquid thanthose mentioned herein above, and to alleviate the problems associatedwith the need to provide insulation between cups or containers whichcontain hot or cold contents and a hand of a user.

It is still another object of the present application to provide adisposable paper or card-stock material cup which is aestheticallyattractive, distinctive, and simple in construction, and in whichinsulation qualities have been incorporated into the structure anddesign of the cup to protect the hand of a user from the hot or coldcontent of the cup, without the need for supplementary insulatingsleeves or double-cupping.

It is also an object to provide an arrangement enabling a user toprepare a personal cup of a freshly prepared and non-aged coffee orsimilar drink.

SUMMARY

The primary feature of the present application provides a substantiallyimproved insulation quality by a main, cylindrical body component with awall structure that has a zigzag pleated shape to allow airflow betweenthe full body of the cup and a hand of a user. Also, contact between ahand of a user and the main body of the cup is minimized to the outerpoints of the pleats or ridges of the body, thereby substantiallyreducing the surface area of the cup which may be heated or cooled bythe content of the cup while also contacting a hand of a user.Accordingly, safety and ease of use are greatly improved.

The object may also be accomplished by a container for holding hotliquids, cold liquids, food items, and the like, said containercomprising: a wall structure comprising a plurality of ridges andvalleys being interior ridges and valleys in the finished condition ofsaid container and said interior ridges and valleys being configured tobe in direct contact with a content of said container; and said wallstructure comprising a plurality of ridges and valleys being exteriorridges and valleys in the finished condition of said container, saidexterior valleys being configured to permit flow of air to cool theexterior of said container and said exterior ridges being configured tominimize exposure to heat or to cold to a hand of a user.

In one aspect at least one object may further be accomplished by adisposable container for holding hot liquids, cold liquids, food items,and the like, said container comprising: a structure having a lengthdimension and a width dimension greater than said width dimension in theunassembled condition of said container and being configured to form acylindrical shaped body with a top and a bottom remote from said top bysaid width dimension; said structure comprising a plurality of ridgesand valleys being interior ridges and valleys in the assembled conditionof said container and said interior ridges and valleys being configuredto be in direct contact with a content of said container; said structurecomprising a plurality of ridges and valleys being exterior ridges andvalleys in the assembled condition of said container, said exteriorvalleys being configured to permit flow of air to cool the exterior ofsaid container and said exterior ridges being configured to minimizeexposure to heat or to cold to a hand of a user; a bottom structurebeing configured and disposed to close said bottom of said container;and an arrangement being configured and disposed to form a mouth portionat said top of said container.

There is also provided a disposable container wherein said stockstructure comprises a card stock, a paper stock or a paper-like materialas known in the art with at least one moisture repellant side. Suchmaterial may, in one embodiment of my application, be a biodegradablematerial. In one embodiment, the cup is made of a paperboard having acoating comprising a thin layer of polyethylene. In one embodiment, thepaperboard is coated on both sides with polyethylene. It will beappreciated that the present application is fully applicable to a cupsuch as is known as a cup having the marking: NO. 2346P37636 DIXIE®GEORGIA-Pacific CORPORATION BRAMPTON, ONTARION MADE IN CANADA K; or as acup having the marking: MANUFACTURED BY CONFERENCE CUP LTD. LONDON,CANADA 350-9517-G; or as cup having the marking: a MADE BY/FABRIQUE PARSOLO CUP CO., CHICAGO, Ill., U.S.A. C NO 372STO75 A-2 12 oz (355 ml)SPECIAL DESIGN HOT CUP; or as a cup having the marking 10HT4 LILYToronto, Canada lily@sweetheart.com L1459; or as a cup having themarking: 575HTB Lily Toronto, Canada lily@sweetheart.com L1459; or as acup having the marking ROLL UP THE RIM TO WINN and that does not havefurther identifying markings; or as a cup having the marking: 2346 LAMESRIVER INC. BRAMPTON; ONTARIO D.S. 9277; or as a cup having the marking:© 2003 McDonald's Corporation (13159) 3, including a sleeve according toU.S. Pat. No. 5,205,473; or a cup having the marking © 1997 SOLO CUPCO., CHICAGO, Ill., U.S.A. NO. 378S1 8 oz (237 ml) HOT CUP, or as a cuphaving the marking NO. 185, FLOWING FLOWERS© FORT JAMES CORPORATION,MADE IN U.S.A. E; or as a cup having the marking: DART A00 o77 12J12.Such cups are widely used at least in Canada by various fast foodoutlets. Such cups and their material of construction are herebyincorporate by reference as if set forth in their entirety herein.

There is also provided a disposable container according to oneembodiment wherein said ridges and valleys comprise at least one ofisosceles ridges and valleys and rounded ridges and valleys.

There is also provided a disposable container wherein said ridges andvalleys have a height dimension of approximately one quarter of an inch.

There is also provided a method of producing a container with a zigzagshaped, pleated body or sidewall component of a paper or card stockmaterial, or paper-like material, which method comprises placing theblank cut to predetermined dimensions across the cavity of a die set,and then lowering the top part of the die set on top of the card stockor blank so that the weight of the top part of the die set pushes thecard stock into the shape of said cavity to form a predetermined pieceof pleated cardstock. The piece of card stock thereby shaped andproduced will herein also be called the cylindrical sidewall componentof the container.

BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates a pre-cut card stock in accordance with oneembodiment of my application;

FIG. 2 illustrates a pre-cut card stock having been pressed in a formwhich creates parallel folds in accordance with one embodiment of myapplication;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the bottom component of the cup inaccordance with one embodiment of my application;

FIG. 4 illustrates a mouthpiece structure for the cup in accordance withone embodiment of my application;

FIG. 5 represents a large sheet of paper card stock from which isstamped the trapezoidal shaped sidewall of the cup in accordance withone embodiment of my application;

FIG. 6 illustrates two halves of a die form configured to press thepleats into the paper card stock in accordance with one embodiment of myapplication;

FIG. 7 illustrates joining of the opposite edges of the paper card stockto form the cylindrical body of the cup in accordance with oneembodiment of my application;

FIG. 8 illustrates a step of the manufacturing process through which apre-engineered metal drop is used to position the bottom component ofthe cup next to the cylindrical body in accordance with one embodimentof my application;

FIG. 9 illustrates the step of gluing together of the bottom componentof the cup to the cylindrical body of the cup in accordance with oneembodiment of my application;

FIG. 10 illustrates application of a staple for further strengtheningthe bond between the bottom component of the cup and the cylindricalbody in accordance with one embodiment of my application; and

FIG. 11 depicts the mouthpiece of the cup being glued to the cylindricalbody of the cup in accordance with one embodiment of my application.

FIG. 12 shows a perspective view of a cup assembly with lid in fullyassembled condition for drinking of the contained brew;

FIG. 13 is an exploded view showing the individual components of the lidthat is configured to prepare an individual potable portion of a drinkfor a user;

FIG. 14 is an exploded view showing the assembled lid and a cup forreceiving the assembled lid;

FIG. 15 is a section view through a lid or top structure that isconfigured to retain a pod arrangement that, in turn, is configured tocontain a single portion of coffee for use by a user;

FIG. 16 is a section view showing a molded plastic casing that isconfigured to receive a paper filter containing coffee or tea, forexample;

FIG. 17 is a section view indicating the securing of the assembly ofFIG. 16 to the lid or top structure of FIG. 14;

FIG. 18 is an exploded perspective view of an arrangement to prepare acup or mug for use with a pod using an adapter in accordance with oneaspect of my application; and

FIG. 19 is a section view of an arrangement to prepare a freshly brewedportion of coffee for a user by adding water with a container configuredto add a liquid.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1 represents pre-cut card stock that possibly may have amoisture-repellant wax layer on one side, that is, the side that is tobe in contact with the content of the finished container. Such cardstock is universally employed in the manufacture of disposable cups. Thecard stock may be punched into a trapezoidal sector shape. The exteriorside of the pre-cut card stock is generally un-waxed so that decorativegraphics or advertising can readily be printed thereon.

The cut blank 10 has an upper edge 12 and a lower edge 14 which edges 12and 14 are spaced apart from one another by the width of the blank 10which width yields the height of the container which is also referred toin assembly as container C. The blank 10 has lateral edges 16 and 18that can be joined to one another so as to fashion the desiredcylindrical or frusto-conical configuration of the cup or container 10.It is one feature of my container C that an area such as 20 is availablefor graphics or indicia.

FIG. 2 represents the pre-cut card stock blank 10 with amoisture-repellant wax layer on one side having been pressed in a formor die, or shaped in any desired manner, that creates parallel folds orpleats 22 which folds or pleats may possibly be approximately onequarter of an inch in height. This card stock or material 10 isconfigured to constitute the sidewall of the cup C. The pleated sidewallgives my cup its distinctive aesthetic appeal and superiorfunctionality. The size of the container C is determined by thedimensions of the punched, pre-cut card stock with a moisture repellantwax layer on one side, the number of folds 22 in the sidewall, and thesize of the corresponding bottom component, shown in FIG. 3 and themouthpiece, shown in FIG. 4.

FIG. 2A illustrates in greater detail the outer ridges 10 a and theinner ridges 10 b, with outer walls 10 c and 10 d, as well as innerwalls 10 e and 10 f. The walls may be disposed at an angle that canreadily be determined by experimentation to impart the desired qualitiesto the finished cup C. With reference to FIG. 2B, the outer ridges maybe reinforced as is indicated by 10 g. FIG. 2C illustrates a wavypattern having outer ridges 10.2 and inner ridges 10.3 that may beconnected to one another by sloping or straight walls 10.1.

FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of the bottom component 30 of my cup.The bottom 30 may be made of pressed, recycled paper having a thicknessof approximately one half of an inch thickness with a thin layer ofmoisture-repellant wax on the interior surface and a standard paperexterior surface which can receive printing thereon. The bottomcomponent 30 may possibly be die-cut from pressed, recycled paper in azigzag formation with a number of points 32 and valleys 34 correspondingto the number of pleats 22 in the sidewall component or blank 10, shownin FIG. 2, to which the bottom 30 is attached.

The top portion of FIG. 4 represents a possible embodiment of themouthpiece of cup C. It is a ring structure 40 that may be manufacturedfrom soft grade plastic or paper fiber that has distinct top portion 42that may be in contact with the mouth of a user and bottom sides 44 and46, see bottom portion of FIG. 4, that may be secured, say by crimping,at the upper edge 12 of the blank 10.

Thus, the bottom portion of FIG. 4 is a cut-out which shows that thebottom side of the mouthpiece 40, that is, the sides 44 and 46, isconstructed so that it can receive and be pressed together and glued orotherwise adhered to the pleated sidewall of the cup or blank 10, asshown in FIG. 2, of the cup C. The dimensions of the mouthpiece may besized to accept the standard tops that are widely available in theindustry.

FIG. 5 represents a large sheet of paper card stock with a moisturerepellant wax layer on one side from which the trapezoidal shapedsidewall or blank 10 (FIG. 2) of the cup is stamped, the attendantequipment being generally identified by reference numeral 50. Eachstamped sidewall or blank 10 contains the amount of paper card stock, ormaterial used, that is needed to create the pleats 22 which characterizethe cylindrical body of the cup C. The exterior, un-waxed surface of thepaper card stock will be able to accept ink for purposes of graphicrepresentations.

FIG. 6 illustrates schematically a pre-engineered die form 60 configuredto press the pleats 22, or ridges and valleys, into the paper card stock10 with the moisture repellant wax layer on one side. Thus, the die form60 has a male portion 62 and a female portion 64, but other methods ofcreasing the card stock 10 are within the scope of the presentapplication.

FIG. 7 shows the opposite edges 16 and 18 of the paper card stock 10with the moisture repellant interior wax layer being glued together toform the cylindrical body of the cup C. The adhesive agent to secure theedges 16 and 18 to one another may be any of those used widely in themanufacture of like products. The adhesive agent will be applied alongthe full length of the adjoining edges 16 and 18 of the sidewall tocreate a watertight seal.

FIG. 8 illustrates the insertion of bottom 30 into the blank 10 that hasbeen glued, to position the bottom 30 at the lower edge 14 of containerC. Positioning may be accomplished by a pre-engineered metal drop 80 notshown in greater detail.

FIG. 9 illustrates the step 90 of gluing together of the bottomcomponent 30 and the cylindrical body 10 of cup C.

Thus, reference numeral 91 represents a piston that may be employed topush the bottom component 30 into place within the cylindrical body andmaintain pressure until the applied glue dries and the adjacent portionsare securely bonded to one another.

Reference numeral 92 represents the area where the glue may possibly beapplied.

Reference numeral 93 indicates hot air pressure being applied to reducethe drying time of the glue or adhesive material, thereby acceleratingthe manufacturing process.

FIG. 10 shows a staple 100 that may be employed to further strengthenthe adhesive bonding between the bottom 30 and cylindrical body 10.Staples will possibly be placed strategically in two or more pleats 22to ensure that the bottom 30 cannot fall out when in use. Staples willbe placed in barely visible locations so they do not distract from thecup's appearance. Reference numeral 102 generally identifies the die ortool that may be employed to apply a staple 100.

FIG. 11 illustrates the mouthpiece 40 being glued to the cylindricalbody 10 of cup C to form a new and improved disposable paper cup inaccordance with my application that meets or exceeds quality standardsfor the industry.

Reference numeral 114 represents the cylindrical body 10 being insertedinto the bottom side of the mouthpiece 40, where the two components areattached with an adhesive agent to one another.

Reference numeral 115 represents the pre-engineered metal holder of themouthpiece 115 which may be equipped with a hot-air drying system tospeed assembly.

Thus, the pleated card stock which constitutes the body of the cup C iswrapped around to form the cylindrical or desired shape, with the twoside edges 16 and 18 of the card stock 10 overlapping and being joinedtogether with the adhesive. The zigzag bottom component 30 may be diecut from a one-half inch pressed, recycled paper which gives strengthand rigidity to the whole structure and bonds easily to the cylindricalbody 10 of the cup C. Strategically placed staples can be used toreinforce the adhesive bond between the body of the cup and the bottomcomponent 30, increasing the safety of the cup by ensuring the bottom 30cannot fall out.

The cup can be manufactured in different sizes and configurations tosuit different applications. The standard disposable beverage cup willhave a smaller, zigzag shaped bottom component and a narrower overalldiameter, while a larger zigzag shaped bottom component will be employedto produce soup or ice cream containers requiring a wider diameter. Thecircular mouthpiece component 40 may be made of soft grade plastic orpaper fibers and will have an open bottom side designed to receive theupper edge of the cylindrical body of cup C for purposes of attachmentand adhesion between the mouthpiece 40 and the body components.

This container will be easier to grip then similar products and willfeature a greatly reduced rate of energy transfer (heat or cold) betweenthe contents and the hand of a holder, thus maximizing both comfort andsafety for the user.

The zigzag shaped, pleated sidewall component or blank 10 may be formedinto a cylindrical body by bringing together the two sides of thepleated card stock that forms the sidewall and attaching them by meansof adhesive glue.

The cup will have a circular rim attached by means of adhesive glue tothe upper portion of the zigzag shaped, pleated cylindrical body. Suchcircular rim constitutes the mouthpiece. A flat one-quarter of an inchto one-half of an inch pressed paper, zigzag shaped closure attached bymeans of adhesive glue to the lower end of the zigzag shaped, pleatedcylindrical body 10 constitutes the bottom component 30.

The upper rim or mouthpiece 40 being a separate generally round entityconstructed of soft plastic or paper fiber may be pressed into place andglued to the top edge of the zigzag shaped, pleated cylindrical body,thereby becoming a constituent part of the whole cup or container C.

The pleats or folds being one-quarter of an inch each from peak tovalley create a zigzag shaped cylindrical body of the desired dimensionwhich size can be varied in width by increasing or reducing the numberof pleats in the body and/or by adjusting the angle between the pleats.

The size of the bottom component 30 will be determined by the dimensionsof the zigzag shaped, pleated cylindrical body to which said bottomcomponent is intended to be attached in manufacture to constitute acontainer of predetermined overall dimension.

The size of the mouthpiece component 40 relative to the size of thebottom component 30 will determine the shape of the container insofar asdifferences in diameter between said top and bottom components willcreate and define a degree of taper in the overall shape of thecontainer.

My claim is that we can use the same concept of card stock folded into azigzag shaped, pleated container body to produce other containers thandisposable paper cups. The number and dimensions of the pleats, thedetermined length of the body, and the dimension of the top and bottomcomponents of the container will dictate the size and exact overallshape of the final container.

The zigzag shaped bottom component of the container will be precut froma large piece of pressed, recycled paper fibers. The top interior sidewill have a thin layer of moisture repellant wax and the bottom orexterior side will have a card stock layer that can accept ink forpurposes of graphic reproduction.

The bottom component 30 will be secured to the zigzag shaped, pleatedcylindrical body component by means of a combination of adhesive glueand supplementary, strategically placed staples.

The upper edges of the zigzag shaped, pleated cylindrical body of thecontainer will be pressed into the bottom side of the circularmouthpiece, which is designed to receive such upper edge of the pleatedbody 10 so that the two parts can be easily attached and bonded togetherwith adhesive glue. The mouthpiece component of the container will besized to accommodate the standard cut tops widely available on themarket.

My present application also relates to a method for folding a moisturerepellant wax coated card stock or commensurate material into a zigzagshaped, pleated body with ridges and valleys to create a disposablepaper cup which can be manufactured simply and effectively.

The resulting cup with its pleated exterior surface is much easier togrip for the user and provides greatly improved insulation between theuser's hand and the body of the cup. Such folded pleats also enhance thestrength and rigidity of the whole structure of the cup. The cup istherefore functionally superior and much safer to use.

Thus, in one aspect, the present application relates to a pleateddisposable cup or like containers or receptacles and/or attendantstructures and methods of manufacture thereof.

Turning now to FIG. 12 of my application, this view indicates a furtherimprovement of mine wherein the cup C is particularly configured with alid 120 that comprises a pod arrangement, which, in turn, is configuredto contain a material configured to prepare a drink for consumption by auser. This pod arrangement will be described in greater detail below.The cup C has pleats 22 or ridges as described and may comprise areas 20for application of graphic insignia. The lid 120 may comprise a hole 123for insertion there-through of a straw, not shown, that is usually usedfor drinking from a covered cup. In another embodiment, hole or aperture123 may possibly be configured to permit drinking from the cup C.

As will best be understood from a perusal of FIG. 13, the lid 120comprises a top wall 122, which is generally circular in horizontalextent and the top wall 122 has a central downwardly directed male ridge126 which in the shown embodiment is generally concentrically disposedwith respect to the diameter at the mouth of the cup C. The male ridge126 generally exemplifies a connecting portion 130 that forms part of alid 120. The lid 120 further has a conical, or frusto-conical, side wall124 that includes a circumferential connecting portion 125 which isconfigured to secure the lid 120 to a cup C as is known in the art,i.e., by a press-and-fit connection of corresponding portions of a cup Cand a lid 120.

Thus the described lid 120 is particularly configured, for one, to closea cup C, and, secondly, to mount at the interior of the lid 120, a podarrangement, such as pod arrangement 140 that is described next.

Thus, pod arrangement 140 comprises a cup-shaped plastic casing 142 witha circumferential side wall 144 and a top rolled edge 146 and a bottom148 that comprises indented valley portions 150 as well as a pre-cuthole 152. The valleys serving to facilitate removal of liquid, such asbrewed liquid, from the casing 142 through hole 152. The pre-cut hole152 may possibly be closed by a circular peel tab 154. In at least oneembodiment of my application, the plastic casing 142 may be a moldedstructure. The top rolled edge 146 of plastic casing 142 is configuredto be attached to the connecting portion 130 of lid 120.

Material configured to prepare a drink is initially stored in a paperfilter 156 that conforms in shape to fit into the inside of the casing142. The paper filter 156 may possibly comprise a formation 158 that ispossibly configured to give strength and shape to the paper filter 156which is simply placed into the casing 142. It will be appreciated thatthe paper filter 156 is configured to leave some space 160 within thecasing 142 to facilitate flow of liquid from the paper filter 156 intothe casing 142 and then into a cup C.

As a matter of protection of the material that is used to prepare adrink, the paper filter 156 may be closed by a plastic barrier or cover162 that would hold the material to prepare a drink, this material beinggenerally identified by reference numeral 164.

As is shown in FIG. 15, the paper filter 156 containing material 164configured to prepare a drink, is introduced into the plastic casing 142that is closed at the bottom 148 by circular peel tab 154. The assemblycomprised of the plastic casing 142 and paper filter 156 containing thematerial 164 configured to prepare a drink is then attached to the lid120, particularly by the top rolled edge 146 of casing 142 engaging withthe connecting portion 130 of the lid 120 to provide a complete lidassembly that may be placed atop of a cup C or a mug 180 with handle182, as will be described next.

Thus, in FIG. 18 is depicted a mug 180 that receives on the upper rimthereof an adapter or converter 170. This adapter 170 comprises astepped cylindrical wall 172 (FIG. 19) with a circumferential ridge 174.The top wall 176 of the adapter 170 has a hole 178 that is configured topermit passage there-through of the casing 142 that is attached to orforms part of the lid 120.

Preparation of a hot serving of a drink is rather simple and maypossibly comprise filling of a hot water container such as 190 with hotwater in accordance with the filling scale 192, indicating either asmall, medium, or large portion of hot water. The container 190 possiblyhas a seating portion 194 that is configured to surround the lidexterior of lid 120, i.e., the wall 128 thereof, and an interiorpiercing portion 196 configured to permit draining of container 190.

The embodiments of my arrangement to prepare a personalized cup offreshly brewed coffee or similar drink just now described above arebased on the need to alleviate waste of energy since, for example, ithas been reported that while the electricity consumption of householdappliances is well documented for conventional operating cycles, thereare still many gaps in our knowledge regarding consumption in stand-bystatus. Thus, in Switzerland the agency “Schweizerische Agentur fürEnergieefficienz (SAFE), reported as follows:” the aim of one projectwas to obtain new findings by carrying out market surveys, measurementsand evaluations. The total standby losses for household appliances inSwitzerland amount to approximately 400 GWh, and the associatedelectricity costs are around 80 million Swiss francs. The greatestproportion—approximately 80 percent—is attributable to heatingrequirements for coffee machines. In some appliance categories theproportion of standby losses to overall electricity consumption isextremely high. The figure for coffee machines in offices is 84 percent,for coffee machines in private households it is 60 percent, and forinduction cooker tops it is 48 percent. The main technical requirementsfor enhancing the energy efficiency of coffee machines are an automaticswitch-off function and improved insulation of boilers. According to thelatest manufacturers' specifications of induction cooker tops, it isapparently possible to significantly reduce the surprisingly high lossesassociated with control devices. Generally speaking, power supply unitsstill possess efficiency potential. It is now possible to reduceconsumption levels from the previously standard level of around 4 W tobelow 0.5 W. Since it appears that significant efficiency potentials canbe utilized with the aid of relatively simple measures, it isrecommended that steps should be taken to enhance efficiency levels.Here it is essential to formulate detailed guidelines and define testingstandards for declaring standby losses. The proposal put forward herefor an energy declaration for coffee machines is intended to help testcenters, EU authorities and manufacturers to carry out uniformmeasurements and evaluations. Given the high power consumption of coffeemachines, their significant efficiency potentials and the availabilityof relatively simple measuring procedures, we recommend that therelevant EU commission should consider paving the way for theintroduction of an energy label for coffee machines.”

Similar finding have been reported in the Federal Republic of Germany.Thus, the German news magazine DER SPIEGEL has reported in its firstissue of 2005 that the wasted energy of standby-electricity consumptionin Germany in 2004, in kilowatt-hours, is as follows:—water heaters2330; hi-fi equipment 2108; computers and accessories 2046; TV 1580;kitchen equipment 1133, telephone, fax, answering machines 991. The sumof 1088 being approximately equivalent to the electricity produced in2003 by the atomic energy power plant at Krümmel in the Federal Republicof Germany.

Thus is it also an object of the present application for patent toalleviate waste of electric energy.

Thus possibly pertinent art to the just described arrangement to preparea personalized drink, includes the following references: U.S. Pat. No.6,076,450—this disclosing a lid with filters 2 and 6 between which isstored the coffee. Water is poured through filter 2 and passes throughcoffee and filter 6. U.S. Pat. No. 5,775,205—shows a cap having a wellportion for holding coffee or tea with water being poured into the wellportion for preparation of a drink. Drinking according to U.S. Pat. No.5,775,205 is from an aperture 37. U.S. Pat. No. 4,487,114 shows astructure that is different from, but is used in analogous manner toU.S. Pat. No. 6,076,450. U.S. Pat. No. 3,796,813 shows a lid in whichare stored sugar and cream for consumption with a drink.

The following U.S. Patents, the references contained therein and thereferences in which they, in turn, are cited, are hereby incorporated byreference as if set forth in their entirety herein: U.S. Pat. No.697,496 issued to Klotz on Apr. 15, 1902; U.S. Pat. No. 1,189,822 issuedto House on Jul. 4, 1916; U.S. Pat. No. 1,889,111 issued to Serr on Nov.29, 1932; U.S. Pat. No. 2,617,549 issued to Egger on Nov. 11, 1952;U.S.Pat. No. 2,743,664 issued to Dale on May 1, 1956; U.S. Pat. No.3,001,683 issued to Goodwin on Sep. 26, 1961; U.S. Pat. No. 2,783,704issued to Liebelt on Mar. 5, 1957; U.S. Pat. No. 2,905,075 issued toLiebelt on Sep. 22, 1959; U.S. Pat. No. 2,968,560 issued to Goros onJan. 17, 1961; U.S. Pat. No. 3,007,377 issued to Muller on Nov. 7, 1961;U.S. Pat. No. 3,063,359 issued to Brant on Nov. 13, 1962; U.S. Pat. No.3,083,101 issued to Noury on Mar. 26, 1963; U.S. Pat. No. 3,094,917issued to Rombouts on Jun. 25, 1963; No. Re. 25,618 issued to Goodman onJul. 14, 1964; U.S. Pat. No. 3,194,468 issued to Baron on Jul. 13, 1965;U.S. Pat. No. 3,333,527 issued to Bender on Aug. 1, 1967; U.S. Pat. No.3,370,524 issued to Kasakoff on Feb. 27, 1968; U.S. Pat. No. 3,407,922issued to Palmer on Oct. 29, 1968; U.S. Pat. No. 3,410,697 issued toStephenson on Nov. 12, 1968; U.S. Pat. No. 3,437,253 issued to Davis onApr. 8, 1969; U.S. Pat. No. 3,443,714 issued to Edwards on May 13, 1969;U.S. Pat. No. 3,443,715 issued to Edwards on May 13, 1969; U.S. Pat. No.3,446,624 issued to Luedtke on May 27, 1969; U.S. Pat. No. 3,503,310issued to Goetz on Mar. 31, 1970; U.S. Pat. No. 3,561,664 issued toPalmer on Feb. 9, 1971; U.S. Pat. No. 3,589,272 issued to Bouladon onJun. 29, 1971; U.S. Pat. No. 3,607, issued to Fassano on Sep. 21, 1971;U.S. Pat. No. 3,615,708 issued to Abile-Gal on Oct. 26, 1971; U.S. Pat.No. 3,695,168 issued to Van Brunt on Oct. 3, 1972; U.S. Pat. No.3,908,523 issued to Shikaya on Sep. 30, 1975; U.S. Pat. No. 3,931,380issued to Belivakici et al. on Jan. 6, 1976; U.S. Pat. No. 3,935,318issued to Mihailide on Jan. 27, 1976; U.S. Pat. No. 3,985,069 issued toCavalluzzi on Oct. 12, 1976; U.S. Pat. No. 4,027,582 issued to O'Connellon Jun. 7, 1977; U.S. Pat. No. 4,061,793 issued to Dipstick on Dec. 6,1977; U.S. Pat. No. 4,086,848 issued to Hahn on Ma, 2, 1978; on U.S.Pat. No. 4,094,234 issued to Olney et al. on Jun. 13, 1978; U.S. Pat.No. 4,098,177 issued to Olney et al. on Jul. 4, 1978; U.S. Pat. No.4,158,329 issued to McKnight on Jun. 19, 1979; U.S. Pat. No. 4,176,588issued to Baron on Dec. 4, 1979; U.S. Pat. No. 4,268,335 issued toHerbst on May 19, 1981; U.S. Pat. No. 4,284,226 issued to Herbst on Aug.18, 1981; U.S. Pat. No. 4,306,492 issued to Zimmermann on Dec. 22, 1981;U.S. Pat. No. 4,417,504 issued to Yamamoto on Nov. 29, 1983; U.S. Pat.No. 4,446,158 issued to English et al. on May 1, 1984; U.S. Pat. No.4,465,697 issued to Brice et al. on Aug. 14, 1984; U.S. Pat. No.4,487,114 issued to Adenoid on Dec. 11, 1984; U.S. Pat. No. 4,706,873issued to Schulz on Nov. 17, 1987; U.S. Pat. No. 4,548,348 issued toClements on Oct. 22, 1985; U.S. Pat. No. 4,577,080 issued to Grossman onMar. 18, 1986; U.S. Pat. No. 4,627,334 issued to Shackling on Dec. 9,1986; U.S. Pat. No. 4,674,400 issued to Roundel et al. on Jun. 23, 1987;U.S. Pat. No. 4,697,502 issued to English et al. on Oct. 6, 1987; U.S.Pat. No. 4,697,503 issued to Okabe et al. on Oct. 6, 1987; U.S. Pat. No.4,706,873 issued to Schulz on Nov. 17, 1987; U.S. Pat. No. 4,721,835issued to Welker et al. on Jan. 26, 1988; U.S. Pat. No. 4,800,089 issuedto Scott on Jan. 24, 1989.

Furthermore: No. 4,860,645 issued to van der Limn et al. on Aug. 29,1989; U.S. Pat. No. 4,875,408 issued to McGee on Oct. 24, 1989; U.S.Pat. No. 4,921,712 issued to Talmudist on May 1, 1990; U.S. Pat. No.4,934,257 issued to Michelson on Jun. 19, 1990; U.S. Pat. No. 4,983,410issued to Dines on Jan. 8, 1991; U.S. Pat. No. 4,990,254 issued to Todayet al. on Feb. 5, 1991; U.S. Pat. No. 4,995,310 issued to van deer Limnet al. on Feb. 26, 1991; U.S. Pat. No. 4,995,978 issued to Van der Gangon Feb. 26, 1991; U.S. Pat. No. 5,036,755 issued to Abdenour on Aug. 6,1991; U.S. Pat. No. 5,064,980 issued to Grossman et al. on Nov. 12,1991; U.S. Pat. No. 5,082,676 issued to Love et al. on Jan. 21, 1992;U.S. Pat. No. 5,085,366 issued to Durgin et al. on Feb. 4, 1992; U.S.Pat. No. 5,108,768 issued to So on Apr. 28, 1992; U.S. Pat. No. 5,168issued to Welker on Dec. 1, 1992; U.S. Pat. No. 5,197,374 issued to Fondon Mar. 30, 1993; U.S. Pat. No. 5,205,473 issued to Coffin, Sr. on Apr.27, 1993; U.S. Pat. No. 5,213,858 issued to Tanner et al. on May 25,1993; U.S. Pat. No. 5,243,164 issued to Erickson et al. on Sep. 7, 1993;U.S. Pat. No. 5,309,823 issued to Allen on May 10, 1994; U.S. Pat. No.5,415,339 issued to Howard on May 16, 1995; U.S. Pat. No. 5,424,083issued to Lozito on Jun. 13, 1995; U.S. Pat. No. 5,547,124 issued toMueller on Aug. 20, 1996; U.S. Pat. No. 5,6005,710 issued to Pridonoffet al. on Feb. 25, 1997; U.S. Pat. No. 5,620,724 issued to Adler on Apr.15, 1997; U.S. Pat. No. 5,633,026 issued to Gruenbacher on May 27, 1997;U.S. Pat. No. 5,637,335 issued to Fond et al. on Jun. 10, 1997; U.S.Pat. No. 5,705,238 issued to Andersen et al. on Jan. 6, 1998; U.S. Pat.No. 5,765,716 issued to Cai et al. on Jun. 16, 1998; U.S. Pat. No.5,769,311 issued to Morita et al. on Jun. 23, 1998; U.S. Pat. No.5,775,205 issued to Melton on Jul. 7, 1998; U.S. Pat. No. 5,776,527issued to Blanc on Jul. 7, 1998; U.S. Pat. No. 5,849,381 issued toClements on Dec. 15, 1998; U.S. Pat. No. 5,852,966 issued to Hursh onDec. 29, 1998; U.S. Pat. No. 5,880,441 issued to Hartman et al. on Mar.9, 1999; U.S. Pat. No. 5,913,964 issued to Melton on Jun. 22, 1999; U.S.Pat. No. 5,937,737 issued to Karell on Aug. 17, 1999; U.S. Pat. No.5,942,143 issued to Hartman et al. on Aug. 24, 1999; U.S. Pat. No.6,038,963 issued to Patterson et al. on Mar. 21, 2000; U.S. Pat. No.6,053,352 issued to Cai on Apr. 25, 2000; U.S. Pat. No. 6,095,033 issuedto Melton on Aug. 1, 2000; U.S. Pat. No. 6,152,363 issued to Rule, Jr.on Nov. 28, 2000; U.S. Pat. No. 6,190,741 issued to Miranda on Feb. 20,2001; U.S. Pat. No. 6,228,201 issued to Cooper et al. on May 8, 2001;U.S. Pat. No. 6,269,736 issued to Melton on Aug. 7, 2001; U.S. Pat. No.6,314,866 issued to Melton on Nov. 13, 2001; U.S. Pat. No. 6,374,726issued to Melton on Apr. 23, 2002; U.S. Pat. No. 6,374,726 issued toMelton on Apr. 23, 2002; U.S. Pat. No. 6,378,766 issued to Sadlier onApr. 30, 2002; U.S. Pat. No. 6,521,147 issued to Arentsen et al. on Feb.18, 2003; U.S. Pat. No. 6,531,196 issued to Aho et al. on Mar. 11, 2003;U.S. Pat. No. 6,554,154 issued to Chauhan et al. on Apr. 29, 2003; U.S.Pat. No. 6,598,786 issued to Guo on Jul. 29, 2003; U.S. Pat. No.6,601,728 issued to Newkirk et al. on Aug. 5, 2003; U.S. Pat. No.6,622,614 issued to Smith on Sep. 23, 2003; and No. 6,726,946 issued toSmith on Apr. 27, 2004.

The components disclosed in the various publications, disclosed orincorporated by reference herein, may be used in the embodiments of thepresent application, as well as equivalents thereof. The appendeddrawings in their entirety, including all dimensions, proportions and/orshapes in at least one embodiment of the application, are schematicallyaccurate and are hereby included by reference into this specification.All, or substantially all, of the components and methods of the variousembodiments may be used with at least one embodiment or all of theembodiments, if more than one embodiment is described herein. All of thepatents, patent applications and publications recited herein, andrecited in the Declaration attached hereto, and the references recitedin such incorporated references are hereby incorporated by reference asif set forth in their entirety herein. All of the references anddocuments, cited in any of the documents cited herein, and thereferences they are in turn cited in, are hereby incorporated byreference as if set forth in their entirety herein. All of the documentscited herein, referred to in the immediately preceding sentence, includeall of the patents, patent applications and publications cited anywherein the present application. All of the references included herein asaforesaid include the corresponding equivalents published by the UnitedStates Patent and Trademark Office and elsewhere. The details in thepatents, patent applications and publications may be considered to beincorporable, at Applicant's option, into the claims during prosecutionas further limitations in the claims to patentably distinguish anyamended claims from any applied prior art. The details in the patents,patent applications and publications may be considered to beincorporable, at Applicant's option, into the claims during prosecutionas further limitations in the claims to patentably distinguish anyamended claims from any applied prior art.

Although only a few exemplary embodiments of this application have beendescribed in detail above, those skilled in the art will readilyappreciate that many modifications are possible in the exemplaryembodiments without materially departing from the novel teachings andadvantages of this application. Accordingly, all such modifications areintended to be included within the scope of this application as definedin the following claims. In the claims, means-plus-function clauses, ifany, are intended to cover the structures described herein as performingthe recited function and not only structural equivalents but alsoequivalent structures.

Thus, there are now provided disposable paper cups, method of making,and handling of such cups. The cup may comprise a pleated disposablepaper cup with a zigzag shaped, pleated cylindrical body, an open topand closed bottom. The cup may be constructed of a paper card stockevenly folded to create parallel pleats that serve to decrease theenergy transfer between hot or cold beverages contained in the cup and auser's hand, enabling the user to hold onto the container for anextended period of time without pain or discomfort. The applicationfurther relates to an arrangement configured to prepare a personalizedbrew of coffee or the like, with a lid that can be punctured to flow hotliquid over a material configured to make a drink and into a disposablecup.

Thus, In accordance with one aspect of the present application, myapplication relates to a disposable container for holding hot liquids,cold liquids, food items, and the like, said container comprising: amoisture repellant card stock, or the like material, structure having alength dimension and a width dimension greater than said width dimensionin the unassembled condition of said container and being configured toform a cylindrical shaped body with a top and a bottom remote from saidtop by said width dimension; said card stock structure comprising aplurality of ridges and valleys being interior ridges and valleys in theassembled condition of said container and said interior ridges andvalleys being configured to be in direct contact with a content of saidcontainer; said card stock structure comprising a plurality of ridgesand valleys being exterior ridges and valleys in the assembled conditionof said container, said exterior valleys being configured to permit flowof air to cool the exterior of said container and said exterior ridgesbeing configured to minimize exposure to heat or to cold to a hand of auser; a bottom structure being configured to be disposed to close saidbottom of said container; and an arrangement being configured to bedisposed to form a mouth portion at said top of said container.

Also, in accordance with one aspect of this application, my applicationrelates to a method of making a container comprising a moisturerepellant card stock, or the like material, structure having a lengthdimension and a width dimension greater than said width dimension in theunassembled condition of said container and being configured to form acylindrical shaped body with a top and a bottom remote from said top bysaid width dimension; said card stock structure comprising a pluralityof ridges and valleys being interior ridges and valleys in the assembledcondition of said container and said interior ridges and valleys beingconfigured to be in direct contact with a content of said container;said card stock structure comprising a plurality of ridges and valleysbeing exterior ridges and valleys in the assembled condition of saidcontainer, said exterior valleys being configured to permit flow of airto cool the exterior of said container and said exterior ridges beingconfigured to minimize exposure to heat or to cold to a hand of a user;a bottom structure being configured to be disposed to close said bottomof said container; and an arrangement being configured to be disposed toform a mouth portion at said top of said container, said methodcomprising the steps of: cutting a blank to predetermined dimensions;placing said cut blank across the cavity of a die set lowering the toppart of the die set on top of the blank so that the weight of the toppart of the die set pushes the card stock into the shape of the cavityto form a predetermined piece of pleated cardstock configured to providethe sidewall component of said container, said pleated card stock thushaving ridges and valleys being interior ridges and valleys in thefinished condition of said container and said interior ridges andvalleys being configured to be in direct contact with a content of saidcontainer; and a plurality of ridges and valleys being exterior ridgesand valleys in the finished condition of said container, said exteriorvalleys being configured to permit flow of air to cool the exterior ofsaid container and said exterior ridges being configured to minimizeexposure to heat or cold to a hand of a user.

In accordance with yet another aspect of my application, the applicationrelates to a blank configured to provide a container side wall for adisposable container for holding hot liquids, cold liquids, food items,and the like, said blank comprising: a structure having a lengthdimension and a width dimension greater than said width dimension in theunassembled condition of said container and being configured to form abody with a top and a bottom remote from said top by said widthdimension; said structure comprising a plurality of ridges and valleysbeing interior ridges and valleys in the assembled condition of saidcontainer and said interior ridges and valleys being configured to be indirect contact with a content of said container; and said structurecomprising a plurality of ridges and valleys being exterior ridges andvalleys in the assembled condition of said container, said exteriorvalleys being configured to permit flow of air to cool the exterior ofsaid container and said exterior ridges being configured to minimizeexposure to heat or to cold to a hand of a user.

Also, in accordance with one aspect of this application, my applicationrelates to a lid for a disposable container, said lid comprising: a lidtop portion comprising a wall structure being configured to closeingress into a disposable container; a lid rim portion being configuredto be attached to a container mouth rim portion, said lid rim portionbeing contiguous to said lid top portion; said wall structure comprisinga securing structure being configured to be disposed towards theinterior of a container when said lid is attached to a container; acasing structure; said casing structure comprising a structure beingconfigured to be attached to said securing structure of said wallstructure of said lid top portion and thus to secure said casingstructure to said lid within the interior of a container to which saidlid is attached; said casing structure comprising a passage remote fromsaid lid top portion and being configured to drain liquid from saidcasing into a disposable container when said lid is attached to adisposable container; and a paper filter container comprising a filterpaper structure being configured to hold a predetermined portion of amaterial being configured to form a drink and also being configured topermit egress of an infusion there-from; said paper filter containerbeing configured to be placed in said casing structure; said wallstructure of said lid comprising a portion being configured to beperforated to permit passing of a liquid from a liquid receptaclethrough a corresponding perforation into said casing, and to permitpassing of a liquid through said paper filter structure and to permitpassing of a liquid about a material configured to form a drink, therebyconfiguring an infusion of the material configured to form a drink, andthus to form a drink; and said casing structure passage being of a sizesufficient to permit passage of an infusion containing dissolvedmaterial being configured to form a drink into a container for drinking.

In accordance with another aspect of my application, my applicationrelates to a method of use of a container with a lid as variouslydescribed, said method comprising: attaching a lid to a container;perforating said lid with a hollow needle structure being configured tointroduce liquid into said disposable container; and introducing liquidinto said disposable container through said paper filter container andsaid casing structure.

In accordance with yet another aspect of my application, my applicationalso relates to a lid for a container, said lid comprising: a wallstructure being configured to close ingress into a container; acontainer structure being configured to be attached to said wallstructure of said lid within the interior of a container to which saidlid is attached; said container structure comprising a passage remotefrom said wall structure and being configured to drain liquid from saidcontainer structure; and a filter container being configured to hold apredetermined portion of a material being configured to form a drink;said filter container being configured to be disposed within saidcontainer structure when said container structure is disposed within acontainer; said wall structure of said lid comprising a portion beingconfigured to be perforated to permit passing of a liquid from a liquidreceptacle through a corresponding perforation into said containerstructure, and to permit passing of a liquid through said filtercontainer and to permit passing of a liquid about a material configuredto form a drink, thereby configuring an infusion of the materialconfigured to form a drink, and thus to form a drink; and said containerstructure passage being of a size sufficient to permit passage of aninfusion containing dissolved material being configured to form a drinkinto a container for drinking.

The application as described hereinabove in the context of the preferredembodiments is not to be taken as limited to all of the provided detailsthereof, since modifications and variations thereof may be made withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the application.

1. A disposable container for holding hot liquids, cold liquids, fooditems, and the like, said container comprising: a moisture repellantcard stock, or the like material, structure having a length dimensionand a width dimension greater than said width dimension in theunassembled condition of said container and being configured to form acylindrical shaped body with a top and a bottom remote from said top bysaid width dimension; said card stock structure comprising a pluralityof ridges and valleys being interior ridges and valleys in the assembledcondition of said container and said interior ridges and valleys beingconfigured to be in direct contact with a content of said container;said card stock structure comprising a plurality of ridges and valleysbeing exterior ridges and valleys in the assembled condition of saidcontainer, said exterior valleys being configured to permit flow of airto cool the exterior of said container and said exterior ridges beingconfigured to minimize exposure to heat or to cold to a hand of a user;a bottom structure being configured to be disposed to close said bottomof said container; and an arrangement being configured to be disposed toform a mouth portion at said top of said container.
 2. The disposablecontainer according to claim 1, wherein: said stock structure comprisesa card stock with at least one moisture repellant wax-coated side. 3.The disposable container according to claim 2, wherein: said ridges andvalleys comprise at least one of isosceles ridges and valleys androunded ridges and valleys.
 4. The disposable container according toclaim 3, wherein: said ridges and valleys have a height dimension ofapproximately one quarter of an inch.
 5. The disposable containeraccording to claim 4, wherein: said card stock is configured towithstand a temperature of approximately 200 degrees Fahrenheit.
 6. Amethod of making a container comprising a moisture repellant card stock,or the like material, structure having a length dimension and a widthdimension greater than said width dimension in the unassembled conditionof said container and being configured to form a cylindrical shaped bodywith a top and a bottom remote from said top by said width dimension;said card stock structure comprising a plurality of ridges and valleysbeing interior ridges and valleys in the assembled condition of saidcontainer and said interior ridges and valleys being configured to be indirect contact with a content of said container; said card stockstructure comprising a plurality of ridges and valleys being exteriorridges and valleys in the assembled condition of said container, saidexterior valleys being configured to permit flow of air to cool theexterior of said container and said exterior ridges being configured tominimize exposure to heat or to cold to a hand of a user; a bottomstructure being configured to be disposed to close said bottom of saidcontainer; and an arrangement being configured to be disposed to form amouth portion at said top of said container, said method comprising thesteps of: cutting a blank to predetermined dimensions; placing said cutblank across the cavity of a die set lowering the top part of the dieset on top of the blank so that the weight of the top part of the dieset pushes the card stock into the shape of the cavity to form apredetermined piece of pleated cardstock configured to provide thesidewall component of said container, said pleated card stock thushaving ridges and valleys being interior ridges and valleys in thefinished condition of said container and said interior ridges andvalleys being configured to be in direct contact with a content of saidcontainer; and a plurality of ridges and valleys being exterior ridgesand valleys in the finished condition of said container, said exteriorvalleys being configured to permit flow of air to cool the exterior ofsaid container and said exterior ridges being configured to minimizeexposure to heat or cold to a hand of a user.
 7. The method according toclaim 6, wherein: said stock structure comprises a card stock with atleast one moisture repellant wax-coated side.
 8. The method according toclaim 7, wherein: said ridges and valleys comprise at least one ofisosceles ridges and valleys and rounded ridges and valleys.
 9. Themethod according to claim 8, wherein: said ridges and valleys have aheight dimension of approximately one quarter of an inch.
 10. The methodaccording to claim 9, wherein: said card stock is configured towithstand a temperature of approximately 200 degrees Fahrenheit.
 11. Ablank configured to provide a container side wall for a disposablecontainer for holding hot liquids, cold liquids, food items, and thelike, said blank comprising: a structure having a length dimension and awidth dimension greater than said width dimension in the unassembledcondition of said container and being configured to form a body with atop and a bottom remote from said top by said width dimension; saidstructure comprising a plurality of ridges and valleys being interiorridges and valleys in the assembled condition of said container and saidinterior ridges and valleys being configured to be in direct contactwith a content of said container; and said structure comprising aplurality of ridges and valleys being exterior ridges and valleys in theassembled condition of said container, said exterior valleys beingconfigured to permit flow of air to cool the exterior of said containerand said exterior ridges being configured to minimize exposure to heator to cold to a hand of a user.
 12. The blank according to claim 11,wherein: said structure comprises a paperboard stock material.
 13. Theblank according to claim 12, wherein said stock material is coated on atleast one side with at least one of: a moisture repellant wax-coatingand polyethylene.
 14. The blank according to claim 13, wherein: saidridges and valleys comprise at least one of isosceles ridges and valleysand rounded ridges and valleys.
 15. The blank according to claim 14,wherein: said ridges and valleys have a height dimension ofapproximately one quarter of an inch.
 16. The blank according to claim15, wherein: said card stock is configured to withstand a temperature ofapproximately 200 degrees Fahrenheit.
 17. A lid for a disposablecontainer in accordance with claim 1, said lid comprising: a lid topportion comprising a wall structure being configured to close ingressinto a disposable container; a lid rim portion being configured to beattached to a container mouth rim portion, said lid rim portion beingcontiguous to said lid top portion; said wall structure comprising asecuring structure being configured to be disposed towards the interiorof a container when said lid is attached to a container; a casingstructure; said casing structure comprising a structure being configuredto be attached to said securing structure of said wall structure of saidlid top portion and thus to secure said casing structure to said lidwithin the interior of a container to which said lid is attached; saidcasing structure comprising a passage remote from said lid top portionand being configured to drain liquid from said casing into a disposablecontainer when said lid is attached to a disposable container and apaper filter container comprising a filter paper structure beingconfigured to hold a predetermined portion of a material beingconfigured to form a drink and also being configured to permit egress ofan infusion there-from; said paper filter container being configured tobe placed in said casing structure; said wall structure of said lidcomprising a portion being configured to be perforated to permit passingof a liquid from a liquid receptacle through a corresponding perforationinto said casing, and to permit passing of a liquid through said paperfilter structure and to permit passing of a liquid about a materialconfigured to form a drink, thereby configuring an infusion of thematerial configured to form a drink, and thus to form a drink; and saidcasing structure passage being of a size sufficient to permit passage ofan infusion containing dissolved material being configured to form adrink into a container for drinking.
 18. A method of use of a containerwith a lid in accordance with claim 17, said method comprising:attaching a lid to a container; perforating said lid with a hollowneedle structure being configured to introduce liquid into saiddisposable container; and introducing liquid into said disposablecontainer through said paper filter container and said casing structure.19. A lid for a container, said lid comprising: a wall structure beingconfigured to close ingress into a container; a container structurebeing configured to be attached to said wall structure of said lidwithin the interior of a container to which said lid is attached; saidcontainer structure comprising a passage remote from said wall structureand being configured to drain liquid from said container structure; anda filter container being configured to hold a predetermined portion of amaterial being configured to form a drink; said filter container beingconfigured to be disposed within said container structure when saidcontainer structure is disposed within a container; said wall structureof said lid comprising a portion being configured to be perforated topermit passing of a liquid from a liquid receptacle through acorresponding perforation into said container structure, and to permitpassing of a liquid through said filter container and to permit passingof a liquid about a material configured to form a drink, therebyconfiguring an infusion of the material configured to form a drink, andthus to form a drink; and said container structure passage being of asize sufficient to permit passage of an infusion containing dissolvedmaterial being configured to form a drink into a container for drinking.20. The lid according to claim 19, comprising at least one of: (a), (b),and (c), wherein (a), (b), and (c) comprise: (a) said containerstructure comprises ridges and valleys to permit draining of liquid fromsaid container structure; (b) said container structure comprises aplastic material; and (c) said container structure comprises a coverconfigured to be attached to said container structure and to maintainmaterial configured to form a drink in a protected space and alsoconfigured to be removed for use of material configured to form a drinkto prepare a personalized drink.